2013 NHL Stanley Cup Winner Odds & Predictions

The 2013 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs start tomorrow night and now is the time to get your future bets in for who you think will win the Stanley Cup this year.

The Blackhawks and Penguins are the favourites heading into the playoffs. However, I don’t expect either #1 seed to win. I like the value on two dogs.

Odds to Win the 2013 NHL Stanley Cup

Once you get past the two favourites the odds become a lot more valuable in my opinion. Anything can happen in the playoffs and it wouldn’t surprise me at all if one of the #5 – #8 seeds wins the Cup, as some great teams snuck into the playoffs this year.

2013 NHL Playoffs Betting Preview

The Pittsburgh Penguins (36-12-0) ran away with the Eastern Conference during the shortened season. The Penguins led the NHL with 3.38 GF/G and ranked 12th in goals allowed (2.48 GA/G). They also come into the playoffs on an 8-2 run in their L10 games.

Sidney Crosby managed to rank T3 in points this season with 56 points, but he missed 12 games this season and I think he would have led the NHL had he not been injured again. Chris Kunitz has been a huge surprise this year with 52 points (T7) for Pitts.

In the Western Conference the Chicago Blackhawks (36-7-5) dominated most of the season. The Blackhawks record would have been even better I think if it weren’t for the shootout where they managed to post just a 6-5 mark in games with a shootout.

Chicago is the biggest threat in the playoffs this season. The Blackhawks scored 3.10 GF/G (2nd) and allowed 2.02 GA/G (1st). They also come into the playoffs healthy this season. The only thing that worries me a bit is they rely heavily on their 1st line for goals.

Pittsburgh plays the Islanders in the 1st round while the Blackhawks play the Wild. I think the two #1 seeds will make it through the opening round this season, but after that anything could happen and there isn’t enough value on their futures to bet them.

Let’s talk about the two teams I’m betting to win the 2013 Stanley Cup. The San Jose Sharks (25-16-7) were the hottest team in the NHL at the start of the season, but things started to fall apart and they ended up finishing in 6th in the Western Conference.

The Sharks ranked 6th in GA/G (2.33), but they struggled offensively and ranked 24th in GF/G (2.42). Joe Thornton led the Sharks with 40 points this season, but he only scored 7 goals. I expect Thornton to heat up in the playoffs this season.

I’m also going to bet on my Maple Leafs, as I think they may surprise teams in the playoffs. Toronto gets no respect, but they had a great season. The Maple Leafs ranked T6 in GF/G (3.02) and they ranked T17 in GA/G (2.67) due to improved goaltending.

Toronto has the toughest road in the Eastern Conference, as they have to get by the Bruins in the 1st round and if they did that they would most likely play the Penguins in the next round. If the Leafs won both those series we could hedge our bet though.

2013 NHL Stanley Cup Predictions

With huge payout odds like we have on the Sharks and Leafs we can hedge in the conference finals if either team makes it that far into the playoffs. The Leafs have a very tough road, but the Sharks don’t have that hard of a road into the conference finals.